


Down In The Forest

by kittenjosten



Category: NINE PERCENT (Band), 偶像练习生 | Idol Producer (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Summer Camp, Cheesy Camp Horror, Horror AU, Like no one is being physically tortured, M/M, PTSD, Zhengting has a bad past, Zhengting is 1000 percent done, it's not really violent, xukun is cute and tired
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-06
Updated: 2018-05-06
Packaged: 2019-05-03 00:27:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14556897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kittenjosten/pseuds/kittenjosten
Summary: It was a summer camp, of course, mishaps would happen, but Zhengting had never expected something like this to take place.





	Down In The Forest

  
  


_ “You’re so pretty when you cry.” _   
  
The hand gripping Zhengting’s face was coated in blood leaving a foul, metallic smell burning his nostrils.

  
The room was illuminated by red when Zhengting awoke, his breath coming in heaved pants. It was the third night in a row he lost sleep. He was haunted by the memories that his dreams liked to bring out. 

 

Zhengting’s eyes found the open window, his heart pounding as he stood. He let his finger run over a thorn on the rose that was left on the windowsill. Zhengting could only stare at the drop of blood forming.    
  
“These kids are going to be the death of me.” Zhengting tutted, slamming the window shut. 

 

Laying back down with his phone in his hand, Zhengting took a picture with the rose in front of his face.    
  
“At least I get a present when they decide to wake me up in the middle of the night as a prank.” Zhengting texted Xukun wondering if they had bothered the other counselor at all.    
  
Knowing he wouldn’t be able to fall back asleep Zhengting made his way to the lake, letting his feet dangle in the water as he waited for the sun to rise.    
  


The sky was a beautiful shade of pink and Zhengting finally felt at peace. At least, Zhengting was at peace until he heard shrill screaming coming from one of the counselor’s cabins. Zhengting felt nausea seeping into his veins as he rushed towards the noise.

  
He hadn’t been able to see it when it was still dark, but there was blood smeared onto the door to the cabin opposite of Zhengting’s.

  
“Xukun?” Zhengting whispered quietly as he pushed the cabin door open.   
  
The first thing that hit Zhengting was the smell, it was hard to fight back the bile forming in the back of his throat. Dead carcasses laid scattered on the cabin floor, black feathers littered about the room. It looked like someone sloshed a gallon of blood over the place for overkill.    
  
Xukun had his eyes closed tightly, hand covering his mouth.   
  
“Xukun, it’s alright. We need to get you out of here. It’s going to be okay.” Zhengting tried after the initial shock had started to wane.

  
  
  


It was the first time Zhengting had witnessed Xukun crying. The only thing Zhengting could feel was the guilt that was trying to consume him. Both of them had received a visit last night, only Zhengting was parted with a rose as Xukun’s entire room was defiled by blood and dead carcasses.    
  
“How about you stay with me tonight?” Zhengting didn’t know what would happen to the cabin Xukun was staying in, he was only positive it wouldn’t be cleaned out by the end of the day. 

 

The head of the camp had shown up to question Xukun around lunch time. Zhengting wasn’t sure how one of the kids they were watching could be capable of doing this, especially to Xukun. Everyone seemed so infatuated with Xukun since the very first day. The kids were usually found fighting for his attention.    
  
Zhengting was almost sure their cabins were confused for one another because there was no way someone could be so cruel to a person like Xukun. 

 

It was a summer camp, of course mishaps would happen, but Zhengting had never expected something like this to take place. He wasn’t even sure how one of their campers could come across animal blood to coat the walls with, let alone stomach going through with the act.    
  


Had Xukun really been able to sleep through everything that took place in his room that night? Zhengting had woken up, but granted, he had woken up because of a nightmare. Would worse had happened if Zhengting hadn’t woke up? Would more people have been terrorized if Zhengting hadn’t walked to sit on the dock? Zhengting was unsettled that one of the kid’s under his care could be so malicious. 

 

Zhengting had been left to watch over a shaken Xukun for the day. He felt relief for not having to face the campers after everything that had happened, happy to leave the other counselors to handle the mess. 

 

Zhengting was honestly shocked that Xukun had chosen to stay with Zhengting. He would have wanted to rush home instantly if he was in Xukun’s shoes. They had wound up on Zhengting’s bed after Xukun had showered.    
  
“I still feel disgusting and it wasn’t even really on me,” Xukun muttered, letting his head rest on Zhengting’s shoulder. 

 

Zhengting was shocked by how beautiful and composed Xukun could look even after enduring something so grotesque. 

  
They had spent the day with tangled limbs.

  
  
  
  


Xukun had grown worried once the sun had set, despite  Zhengting trying to calm his nerves.    
  
“You don’t think something will happen again?” Xukun was biting his lip as he fidgeted.    
  
“After last night? I don’t think so Kunkun. Whoever did that would probably be too scared of being caught to try something like that ever again.”    
  
There was a pout adorning Xukun’s lips and Zhengting held onto him tighter.    
  
“I’m here and a really light sleeper, Kunnie. I won’t let anything happen to you again, promise.”   
  
“Just try to rest,” Zhengting mumbled, letting his hands knead Xukun’s shoulders in hopes of relaxing him.    
  
“Can we get some air instead?” Xukun whined. 

 

Zhengting was stunned the boy would feel comfortable going outside in the dark, but he didn’t have the heart to tell him no. 

 

Zhengting had forced one of his hoodies onto Xukun, not wanting to think about where the majority of Xukun’s clothes currently were. 

 

Xukun was content with staring up at the night sky as they walked. Zhengting noticed their fingers brushing against one another as they made their way across the campgrounds.   
  
The stars helped ease the worry they were both feeling earlier that night. They had wound up on the dock looking out at the black water that was in front of them, fingers intertwined.   
  
“You don’t understand how scared I was this morning.” Zhengting exhaled, his grip tightening, pulling Xukun closer to him. 

 

“Scared that something happened to you,” Zhengting confirmed with a soft groan, trying to sort out his own thoughts. 

  
Zhengting lost track of how long they laid on the dock staring at the stars. Xukun was asleep, his head resting against Zhengting’s chest. 

 

  
  
  
  
  


Zhengting gasped awake as his hair was pushed back.    
  
“I told you that you shouldn’t have woke him up!” A voice whined quietly.    
  
Zhengting blinked at the two figures that stood above him.    
  
“What are you doing out here, Justin?” Zhengting sat up fast enough to make himself dizzy. 

 

“We just wanted to get some air.” Justin huffed.   
  
“And somebody had to wake you up.” Chengcheng groaned in annoyance.    
  
“It felt wrong to leave them out here asleep in the dark!” Justin protested, crossing his arms.    
  
“You both know you’re not supposed to be out of bed right now, especially after what happened this morning.” Zhengting glanced at Xukun who was still resting peacefully near them. 

 

“And why do you smell like alcohol?” Zhengting’s eyes narrowed, leaning closer to the two of them.    
  
Justin squeaked trying to pull back from Zhengting’s grip to no avail.    
  
“You’re imagining things.” Chengcheng supplied, cooly.

 

“I guess me calling both of your parents will just be a part of your imaginations, then?” Zhengting bit back.    
  
“Please don’t,” Justin whined.   
  
“Who even gave you two alcohol?”   
  
“No one gave it to us, okay? We found it, there was a stash. It even had snacks, alright?” Chengcheng didn’t sound the least bit guilty.    
  
  


  
  
  
  
  


“So, let me get this right… you two found alcohol and snacks randomly in the woods?” Zhengting did his best to keep his angered voice contained in a whisper.    
  
Justin nodded, looking for the most part, regretful.    
  
“And you decided that it would be okay to mess with it? It could have been poisoned, Chengcheng.”    
  
“You’re taking me to where you found it, understood?”    
  
Chengcheng was glaring at Justin bitterly, but the boy nodded nonetheless.    
  
Zhengting bent back down onto his knees, softly trying to wake Xukun. Zhengting didn’t have the heart to leave Xukun alone, even though it was just as painful having to wake him once he was finally sleeping peacefully.    
  
Zhengting was concerned on how deep into the woods Justin and Chengcheng had gone in the first place.    
  
“What were you two even doing out here?”    
  
“We were just getting air.” Justin quickly replied, his voice a soft whine.    
  
“You were just getting air? Deep in the middle of the woods?” Zhengting had to fight back the groan that wanted to leave his lips. These boys really would be the death of him.    
  
“There are safer places to get, “air”, I’m sure.” Xukun supplied in a tired voice, his hand finding Zhengting’s once again in a comforting gesture.    
  


Chengcheng got onto his knees with the flashlight in his hand, shining it into the hollowed out bit of an old tree. Zhengting peered, seeing a few bottles that had been opened. With a sigh, he instructed Chengcheng to take everything out.    
  
“There were more things when we left.” Chengcheng sounded confused as he continued to fish around.   
  
Chengcheng let out a weird noise, bringing out his hand.    
  
Zhengting wanted to gag at the sight of blood that was now covering the boy’s skin.   
  
“Chengcheng, what the fuck?” Zhengting questioned kneeling beside the boy.   
  
Chengcheng was dry heaving, having pulled back with a small shriek.    
  
Justin was watching with wide eyes focused on Chengcheng.


End file.
